MikeParkin65

Really good show with a happy, friendly and relaxed vibe. Busy but not hectic and therefore easy to get to really appreciate the layouts on offer. And what an inspiring collection of layouts they were! Seems to be a reinvigorated show and well worth a visit. Don’t wear your best shoes if you have to park on the grass though :)

Agree - the 78xxx will certainly negotiate my minimum 36 inch radius (inside of Peco curved point) with the tender on the closest setting and the front steps fitted (so long as you remove the unprototypical mouldings on the reverse of the steps first).

I know - its just that they are so much the anthesis of what I expect from a scale model. And as we've seen, removal is not seamless. Otherwise apart from the fixed too wide gap between loco and tender which this photo cunningly masks its a fine model.

Lamps look AWFUL. Just when you thought a loco couldnt get any uglier lol

Pretty sure last time I saw 5428 the middle tender wheel was unusual in being solid whilst the outer ones were spoked.

All well and good but where its not intermittent, not related to DCC functionality and the symptom is obvious - slowly grinding to a halt time and effort could equally be saved by accepting the obvious. Did I mention the smell of hot electrics? Hard to video that.

All of which I know, understand and broadly agree with. I think my comment regarding defensiveness has been misunderstood - I'd already told support in detail, without ambiguity what the model was doing. I felt this was not being recognised in the request for the video. Recording and uploading to a third party website was an unexpected faff and didnt add anything to supports understanding of my problem apart from them agreeing I had a problem. It was a bit like getting past the receptionist to see the Dr. All that said I'll happily wait 28 days or so without contacting support and hope I dont get queue jumped by those who need a daily conversation with them :)

Afternoon Fran - it didnt read like that to me as recipient to be honest. This is how the request for video was justified by support ' Its so we can see it moving slowly as we have had several models sent to us to have issues resolved and when its arrived in the workshop it has worked fine.' The mythical modeler who apparently enjoys sending £270 models back in the post just for the hell of it will presumably just film their loco running dead slow anyway?

Speaking purely from my own experience I have 3 37's, 1 Accurascale, 2 Bachmann. All factory sound fitted. All put into 'service' at the same time and used interchangeably on a small attic layout that includes a continuous run. Accurascale model failed with the previously mentioned 'motor issue' - symptom being sudden slow downs after a period of steady running that then deteriorated into a permanent slowdown with, if the AMP meter on the NCE Powercab is to be believed a high power demand. Sent back to Accurascale towers. I must say that initially at least the support was a little defensive - I was surprised to be asked to provide video 'proof' of the problem. Its not like any of us actually want the hassle of sending these things out in the post is it? Also as per comments above, before the Accurascale model failed it would move off at an imperceptible crawl with the sound off. With the sound on its speed step 10 and the drivers tea in his lap as it shoots off or nothing!. Both Bachmann versions faultless so far and DCC control perfect from the box. Not trying to reignite or stoke anything by these comments - just plain honest feedback.

Try detailing and finishing a Hornby Mk1 to the standard of a Bachmann Mk1 and you'll soon see what extra you are getting for your money. And then add a close coupling cam. You pays your money.......

Severn Valley Railway has bargain N gauge Austerity’s https://svrshop.co.uk/collections/n-gauge-model-railways

Ebay prices for the first batch seem to be falling - just seen a D9019 sound fitted described as 'new' sell for £155 + £12 postage. Looked fine in the photo's - even the chains were still attached!

Press the EXP button on the bottom row of the PowerCab with the loco selected to see functions selected.

Dare I say Sam is getting a little older and a little wiser? He's a top rate presenter and enthusiastic about the manufacture of model locomotives. Not at the moment a classic modeller but nothing wrong with that and he makes a useful contribution with his reviews.

Leading with the LMS version might be a factor - I suspect the BR late crest versions will be more popular on pre order.

I engaged with support and after various trials including sending a video to prove it was playing up (agreed probable motor failure) and finding a box big and stout enough to return it in (thanks Wold Top Brewery!) my D6700 arrived back at Accurascale 'Darlington works' last Monday according to Royal Mail. I didnt get any indication of how long it would be away for but in the proof of delivery photo it was one of at least half a dozen. I'm reckoning on waiting 4 weeks or so before asking on progress. It's not the only loco on the layout so its 'duties' are being admirably covered :)

None of the above are reasons for steam models to join in with a race to the bottom :)

But surely a fair review will include facts as discussed here - the lamps are over scale, the loco tender gap is large and fixed, the tail lamp is fixed and is unprototypical for the majority of modelled scenarios. The lamps are said by the manufacturer to be removeable - are they? . And then alert the reader to the fact that light bleed will be visible. None of this is nit picking. I very much want a Black Five to the standard of the Accurascale Manor and I was hoping we had one coming from Hornby. Sadly the model has been compromised to the extent that it no longer meets my expectations.

Although all 4 of the main magazines were negative (to varying degrees) about the new Heljan Brush Type 4/Class 47 despite 2 of them having limited editions for sale from the tooling

Reviewed in this months Hornby Mag. None of the concerns we have voiced mentioned at all. Only hint of a criticism is haulage where it would only haul 6 Bachmann Mk1 'due to their rolling resistance', it did however haul 12 Hornby Mk1s and 12 Accurascale Mk2's for comparison.

Affected electrical continuity rather than traction - the factory had used a non conductive grease and Bachmann had changed from their usual (and reliable) wiper pick up arrangement to a set up using contacts to the bearing which was in turn picking up from the axle. The home fix involved a clean out with IPA and soldering in proper wiper pickups (and a hard wire to the circuit board for good measure.

I've no idea how many of my locos have 'satans cable' arrangements but its well into double figures. I've only had one failure of it and that was a Hornby Brit 'dead on arrival'. And an easy fix with a soldering iron. Hornby have refined the fitting of the tender connection in recent years by having a screw fixing in the tender rather than glued in - this makes any required repair even easier.

Accurascale Manor accomplishes scale coupling, the advantages of the cam on curves, no slop and electrical connection with aplomb. The latest Bachmann 9f has the adjustable bar coupling and a separate plug for the electrical connection which works equally as well (although I have made my own closer coupling bar using a yoghurt pot lid and a Lidl hole punch!) as the Bachmann bar leaves a huge gap even on the closest setting.

Agree more robust (and commensurately chunky) but still unfortunately leaved too large a gap between loco and tender and it is a fixed distance. My layout is no 'Little Bytham' but I take care to keep curves as gentle as possible. With a minimum 36 inch (curve of a Peco medium radius point) I find I can couple most tenders much closer than the supplied 'standard' coupling - especially if things like inner tender buffers are removed (for the Hornby Brit for example this means they will operate reliably on the 'display' setting ). Accurascale and Dapol have both shown how to properly take advantage of cam coupling for the tender so Hornby really have no excuse for what they are doing with the A£, A4 and now the Black Five. Better proven solutions already on the market and deployed by their competitors. Removing the cam from the Bachmann V2 is on my current 'to do' list - I waited for prices to drop before buying that model, will be the same with the Black Five

Bachmann also have relatively recent research for their 2 mm model as well of course. And the 8F …….